Fulfills Predicted Specifications
There should be no feeling on the part of the evangelist, as he faces a congregation of interested non-Adventist hearers, that he must now present a difficult topic and one rather aside from the regular course of doctrinal expositions. This topic is one of the essential features in the array of gospel truths that center around second-advent teaching. And the living facts and lessons that come to us in the narrative of the coming and working of the Spirit of prophecy are not dependent upon any personal acquaintance with the human agent in the gift. It is all a matter of Bible prophecy and of material record of fulfillment. Some of us who are now counted among the elderly workers may naturally draw upon memories of personal observations and contacts with Mrs. White as this or that turn of events was met in the cause, and as one crisis or another was passed under obviously more than human leadership.
But the really essential, the most convincing and interesting features of the working of this gift in fulfillment of the prophecy of its restoration to the remnant church, are the experiences that are a matter of record. Such, anyone can tell to illustrate the everlasting truth that the living God brought forth this advent movement when the hour of His judgment opened in heaven above, and on earth He raised up this people keeping the commandments of God, as the prophecy foretold. And to lead and guide in the work, as in ancient time, He set in the movement the Spirit of prophecy.
It is a living, moving reality, this movement —the greatest visible sign of the near coming of Christ to which we can point. No wonder the evil one stirs up opposition to the two features that were to distinguish the movement—the keeping of the commandments of God and the possession of the Spirit of prophecy. We rejoice to tell the world how, as the time of the judgment hour came, the Lord brought forth the movement that is to lift up the banner of God's holy law ; and all along He has guided the movement by the gift foretold. It is an interesting and a moving story to tell those who are interested in the judgment-hour message and the definite work of preparing a people to meet the judgment roll call of "the quick and the dead."
I have often learned how the story of the Spirit of prophecy interests thoughtful nonmembers. In one division council overseas the secretary of a leading Bible society branch dropped in on the first of a series of morning studies on the Spirit of prophecy. He canceled outstanding appointments in a neighboring country in order to follow the topic, and repeatedly asked for copies of extracts from the writings of the gift.
Let that one incident suffice here. Our evangelists could all extend the account. We have a story to tell of the work of the living God guiding in a living movement by an ancient gift restored to the remnant church as foretold in the sure word of prophecy. At what point in the series of topics this subject can best be presented, others can suggest better than I. Every evangelist must know the accepted hour to lead the hearers from topic to topic through the whole course of studies. But this matter of the Spirit of prophecy is one of the interesting and vital things in declaring the whole round "counsel of God" for our day. We must faithfully present this fundamental of the faith to the people.
